Scarborough Bioblitz: 585 species and counting…
Temperatures soared and so did the species count during the Scarborough Bioblitz last weekend!
On the 2nd, 3rd and 4th June, wildlife experts and enthusiasts from all over Yorkshire and beyond joined members of the public to record wildlife on Scarborough’s shores, cliffs, parks, gardens and woodlands.
The event started with an exploration of Scarborough’s extensive rocky coast, which generated records of new species for the area including the sea slug Jorunna tomentosa. As the tide rose, the Bioblitz moved inland with activities including bird ringing, pond dipping, fungus forays, invertebrate hunts and botanical surveys. Meanwhile, Scarborough Sub Aqua Club carried out three survey dives, boosting the species count with records of underwater wildlife including ballan wrasse and common lobster. As darkness fell, moth traps were set and a bat survey was carried out, revealing four bat species foraging in Scarborough’s Peasholm Park.
Records were collated and entered on site throughout the Bioblitz by staff from North and East Yorkshire Ecological Data Centre, who used Twitter and Facebook to give live updates on the species count and interesting finds.
By the end of the event, 1025 records had been entered, giving a total of 585 species including 20 BAP species. However, more records are due in from experts who took specimens away to identify under the microscope – so keep an eye on the website for the final tally!
No stone was left unturned in the search for species! (Photo courtesy of Kerry Netherway, Natural England)
The Bioblitz culminated in a public exhibition with free family activities at Scarborough Spa, which attracted over 700 visitors. Media coverage included the local press and radio and BBC Look North – but if you missed it, you can see photos of the Scarborough BioBlitz
The Scarborough BioBlitz was organised by the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union as part of their 150th anniversary celebrations, with financial support from OPAL and Welcome to Yorkshire. The YNU would like to thank everyone who took part and helped make the event such a great success!